Another morning.
The sun rose beautifully, while the thousand moons still hung above the planet.
Abraão woke up with pain in his eye.
He got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, still half asleep.
"Good morning, Mom!"
"Good morning, son. Sit down, I'll serve the tea."
Mahina had been feeling a strange sensation that morning.
She poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Abraão.
Before she could say anything, Abraão answered:
"I didn't sleep well."
Mahina froze.
Her hand remained suspended in the air.
"…I hadn't asked anything yet."
Silence.
Heavy silence.
A chill ran down Abraão's spine.
She was right.
He had answered a question that had never been asked.
Mahina slowly lowered her hand.
Her eyes focused on his left eye.
The Eye of Lies.
"Abraão."
Her voice was unusually serious.
"I…"
For the first time since he had met her, she seemed unsure of what to say.
"You answered before I spoke."
Abraão looked down.
His stomach twisted.
Because he knew she wasn't wrong.
He had heard the question.
Not with his ears.
Not exactly.
The thought had appeared in his mind several seconds before she asked it.
"I don't know how it happened."
Mahina stared at him for a long moment.
Then she took a small step backward.
Not out of fear.
Out of caution.
And somehow, that felt worse.
His left eye throbbed again.
A sharp pain spread through the left side of his head.
Abraão grimaced.
But he tried to ignore it.
He didn't want Mahina to worry.
—
Later that day, someone knocked on the door.
Abraão opened it without hesitation.
It was Lia.
She wasn't smiling.
She wasn't carrying food.
And she wasn't there to joke around.
"Good afternoon, Lia. What brings you here?"
"Good afternoon, Abraão. We need to talk. And why are you talking like that?"
"I'm talking normally."
"Ah, never mind. Can I come in?"
"Of course."
As soon as she entered, they sat down on the couch.
"I almost died in there."
Abraão immediately understood.
The Hollow Moon.
Lia looked away.
"I froze."
Her fists clenched tightly.
"I couldn't do anything."
A pause.
"I couldn't even protect myself."
The frustration in her voice was impossible to ignore.
"I was just a burden to you."
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
The memory of that place still felt strange.
Then Lia looked directly at him.
"I don't want to be the person who always needs to be saved."
The words hit him harder than she intended.
Because Abraão understood them perfectly.
He had once felt exactly the same way.
So he simply nodded.
"Then I'll help you."
Lia blinked.
Then smiled.
A genuine smile.
"Really?"
"Really."
Her brown eyes lit up.
"Thank you so much, Abraão! You're the best friend I've ever had!"
"It's not that big of a deal."
He gave a small smile.
He picked up his rusty sword, and the two of them headed outside.
"But how am I supposed to train without a sword?"
Abraão looked around for a moment.
Then he walked toward a sugarcane plant growing near the house.
With a quick motion, he snapped one in half.
CRACK.
Then held it out to her.
Lia looked at the sugarcane.
Then at him.
"…Seriously?"
"It's temporary," Abraão replied, trying to keep a straight face.
"That's sugarcane, Abraão."
"And it's very good sugarcane."
"…"
"Unless you'd rather fight bare-handed."
Lia stared at the sugarcane for a few seconds.
Then shook her head.
"I can't believe I'm actually going to accept this…"
A small grin appeared on Abraão's face.
"Great warriors have to start somewhere."
"And mine is…"
He pointed at the sugarcane.
"…sweet and sour."
Lia smacked him on the arm.
But this time, she couldn't hold back her laughter.
⸻
The training lasted for hours.
No flashy attacks.
No powerful techniques.
Fundamentals.
Repeatedly.
Footwork.
Balance.
Positioning.
Dodging.
Reading an opponent's movements.
At first, Lia was frustrated.
She wanted power.
Speed.
But every time she rushed forward, Abraão stopped her.
"You lost your balance."
Again.
"You left your side exposed."
Again.
"You attacked without thinking."
Again.
And again.
And again.
The sun climbed higher into the sky.
Sweat soaked their clothes.
Their legs felt heavy.
But little by little…
Lia improved.
For the first time, she landed a clean hit.
Then another.
Then another.
A huge smile appeared on her face.
"Got you!"
Abraão laughed.
"Barely."
"It still counts!"
His left eye throbbed again.
A sharp pain shot through his skull.
His vision blurred for a moment.
The world seemed to spin.
Abraão almost lost his balance.
But he gritted his teeth.
And ignored it.
Once again.
He didn't want to worry Lia.
Or Mahina.
Or anyone.
So he forced a smile.
"Are you okay?" Lia asked immediately.
"Yeah."
A lie.
The pain was getting worse.
Much worse.
But he continued training.
As if nothing was happening.
—
When the sun began to set behind the mountains, they finally stopped.
Both of them were exhausted.
Lia wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Then, suddenly, she hugged him.
Quickly.
Warmly.
Before he could react.
"Thank you for helping me."
Abraão laughed softly.
"I'm your friend. You can always count on me."
Then she started walking away.
Halfway down the path, she turned around.
Just once.
Then waved.
"See you tomorrow, Abraão!"
Abraão smiled.
And waved back.
Then she disappeared among the trees.
—
The forest felt strangely empty afterward.
His left eye throbbed again.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Abraão pressed a hand against it.
"…what's happening to me?"
No answer came.
Only pain.
He took a deep breath.
Maybe some fresh air would help.
So he started walking down the mountain trail.
The cool wind felt pleasant against his skin.
For a few moments, the pain seemed lighter.
Then—
CRASH.
Someone slammed directly into him.
Both of them fell to the ground.
"Ow…"
Abraão rubbed the back of his head.
The other person immediately sat up.
"Sorry! Sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!"
The voice sounded nervous.
Almost panicked.
Abraão blinked.
The boy wasn't even looking at his face.
"It's okay. It wasn't that bad."
Then—
GRRRRRR.
The boy's stomach growled loudly.
Silence.
Abraão stared.
The boy froze.
"…"
"…"
"Are you okay?"
The boy quickly looked away.
"I'm fine."
Abraão raised an eyebrow.
"You look dirty."
No response.
"Your hair is a mess."
Still nothing.
"And you're obviously hungry."
"I'm not."
His stomach immediately growled again.
Even louder.
Abraão pointed.
"See? Even your stomach disagrees."
The boy's face turned slightly red.
"I need to go."
"Wait."
Abraão stood up.
"Come with me."
"What?"
"You can eat something."
"I don't need—"
"And take a bath."
"I—"
"Please?"
The boy froze.
Cornered.
Unable to find an excuse.
"…okay."
Abraão smiled.
"Let's go."
And before the boy could change his mind—
Abraão grabbed his hand and started leading him home.
—
A few minutes later, they arrived at the house.
Abraão opened the door.
"I'm back!"
Mahina appeared from the kitchen.
"Son? Who is this?"
The boy immediately lowered his head.
Abraão scratched the back of his neck.
"I'll explain later."
Mahina raised an eyebrow.
"Abraão…"
"I'll explain later, I promise."
She sighed.
"Alright."
Abraão turned toward the boy.
"Come on."
The two walked down the hallway.
A few moments later, they arrived at the bathroom.
"You can take a bath here."
The boy blinked.
"…a bath?"
"Yeah."
Abraão pointed toward the bathtub.
"You look like you picked a fight with an entire forest."
"…"
"Or maybe the forest won."
The boy almost smiled.
Almost.
"You can go in."
He hesitated.
"I don't have any other clothes."
"Don't worry."
Abraão opened a cabinet.
"You can borrow some of mine for now."
The boy's eyes widened.
"But…"
"No buts."
Abraão handed him the clothes.
"When you're done, call me."
Then he closed the door.
—
The bathroom fell silent.
The boy placed the borrowed clothes on the sink.
And stood there.
Watching.
Thinking.
"…Why?"
His voice came out quietly.
Almost a whisper.
"He doesn't even know who I am."
Slowly, he began taking off his clothes.
His hands trembled.
Not from cold.
From nervousness.
"Why is he helping me?"
No answer came.
He stepped into the warm water.
And froze.
Not from fear.
From surprise.
The warmth wrapped around his body.
Comfortable.
Pleasant.
How long had it been?
Days?
Weeks?
Months?
He couldn't even remember anymore.
Slowly, he sank deeper into the water.
Closed his eyes.
And for the first time in a very long time…
he felt at peace.
—
Meanwhile, Abraão was sitting at the table.
His eye still throbbed.
Mahina placed a cup of tea in front of him.
"So."
Abraão already knew what was coming.
"So?"
"Who is she?"
"A Girl."
"I noticed."
"I found him in the forest."
Mahina sighed.
"And?"
"She was hungry."
"And?"
"She looked sad."
"And?"
Abraão crossed his arms.
"You're doing this on purpose."
"I am."
She took a sip of tea.
"What's her name?"
Silence.
"…"
"…"
"Abraão."
"…"
"Abraão."
"I forgot to ask."
Mahina closed her eyes.
"You brought a complete stranger into our house."
"Yes."
"Without even knowing her name."
"Yes."
She lightly smacked the back of his head.
"OW!"
"Next time, ask for the name first."
"Okay…"
—
The bathroom door opened.
Abraão looked up.
And froze for a moment.
Long white-blue hair.
Bright violet eyes.
Delicate features.
Fair skin.
And a moon-shaped necklace resting around his neck.
"Oh."
Abraão smiled.
"Finished already?"
The person nodded.
"Great."
Abraão pointed toward the clothes.
"You can give those to me. I'll wash them."
The person froze.
"…"
"You don't have to be embarrassed."
"…"
"I know how to wash clothes."
Still silence.
Then Abraão seemed to realize something.
"Oh."
He clapped one hand into the other.
"I forgot."
The person blinked.
"Girls are usually embarrassed about that kind of thing, right?"
The person's face completely froze.
"…"
Abraão kept talking.
"If you'd rather, I can ask my mom to wash them."
"I'm not a girl."
Silence.
Abraão blinked.
"…"
"…"
"…oh."
His brain took a few seconds to process it.
"Wait."
Another pause.
"You're a boy?"
The boy looked away.
His face becoming redder and redder.
"…yes."
Abraão scratched his head.
"My bad."
"It's fine."
The answer came too quickly.
As if he was used to it.
That made Abraão frown for a brief moment.
But before he could ask—
he pointed at the clothes again.
"Then give them to me so I can wash them."
The boy immediately stepped back.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because no."
"That's not an answer."
"Yes it is."
"No, it isn't."
"Yes, it is."
"No."
"Yes."
Abraão tried grabbing the clothes.
The boy pulled them back.
Abraão pulled again.
The boy resisted.
One more tug.
And then—
The clothes fell onto the floor.
Silence.
Complete silence.
The boy's face turned bright red.
Both hands flew up to cover his face.
Trying to hide.
Trying to disappear.
Abraão looked at the clothes scattered across the floor.
Then he understood.
"…oh."
Now it made sense.
"So that's it."
The boy didn't answer.
His entire body trembled with embarrassment.
"You think it's weird, don't you?"
His voice came out quietly.
Weak.
Almost broken.
Abraão tilted his head.
"Why?"
The violet eyes trembled.
"Because I'm a boy."
Silence.
Then Abraão shrugged.
"I still don't see the problem."
The boy froze.
"If you like those clothes…"
Abraão smiled.
"…then wear them."
"You don't think it's strange?"
"No."
The answer came immediately.
Without hesitation.
"Not at all."
The violet eyes widened.
As if that answer was impossible.
"You should wear what you like."
Abraão continued.
"Not what other people want you to wear."
And at that moment—
the tears began to fall.
First one.
Then another.
Then another.
The boy tried to wipe them away.
Tried to hide his face.
Tried to stop.
But he couldn't.
His entire body trembled.
Years of fear.
Shame.
Loneliness.
Everything seemed to pour out at once.
"I…"
His voice failed him.
"I…"
But the words wouldn't come.
Then Abraão stepped closer.
And hugged him.
Without saying anything.
Without asking questions.
Without demanding explanations.
He simply stayed there.
The boy grabbed his shirt tightly.
As if he was afraid Abraão would disappear.
The tears wouldn't stop.
And for the first time in a very long time…
he wasn't crying alone.
—
Time passed.
Minutes.
Maybe hours.
Neither of them noticed.
When the crying finally stopped—
the boy had already fallen asleep.
Still leaning against him.
Abraão smiled softly.
"You must have been really tired…"
Carefully, he picked him up.
And placed him on the couch.
Then covered him with a blanket.
The boy didn't move at all.
He remained fast asleep.
—
Abraão watched him for a few seconds.
Thoughtfully.
"What happened to you…?"
No answer came.
Only the silence of the house.
For a moment, he remembered his grandmother.
Then his brother.
The sadness he had felt when he lost them.
His gaze fell on the boy once more.
"I don't want anyone to go through what I went through…"
—
Mahina watched everything from the kitchen.
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I hope you two become good friends."
A little later, she picked up a basket.
"I'm going shopping."
Abraão simply nodded.
And she left.
—
The afternoon passed slowly.
Golden rays of sunlight streamed through the windows.
Abraão woke up from a nap on the couch.
"Argh…"
He rubbed his eyes.
Then remembered.
"The clothes."
He looked toward the boy.
Still asleep.
"He was really exhausted…"
Abraão picked up the clothes scattered around.
And walked outside.
He filled the wash basin with water.
Grabbed some soap.
And began washing them.
One piece at a time.
Carefully.
Without rushing.
When he finished, he hung everything on the clothesline.
The gentle breeze made the fabrics sway.
"Done."
He placed his hands on his hips.
Proud of himself.
"That wasn't even that hard."
—
When he went back inside—
the boy was still sleeping.
Abraão placed another blanket over him.
The air was beginning to get colder.
"When he wakes up, I'll ask his name."
A pause.
"…I forgot to ask again."
He sighed.
—
A little later, he picked up his rusty sword.
And went outside to train.
The orange glow of sunset illuminated the forest.
Abraão assumed his stance.
And began moving.
One slash.
Another.
Then another.
Over and over.
Then he tried something different.
Creating a barrier.
An invisible layer of protection around his body.
Something that could help him in future battles.
But every attempt failed.
"Again."
Nothing.
"Again."
Nothing.
"Again."
—
His left eye pulsed.
Once.
Then again.
Stronger.
Much stronger.
Abraão let his sword fall.
CLANG.
Pain exploded through his head.
"ARGH!"
He grabbed his face.
His vision blurred.
The world spun.
His legs gave out beneath him.
And he fell to his knees.
—
The pain kept growing.
Growing.
Growing.
Until—
everything went dark.
—
When he managed to open his eyes again—
someone was standing in front of him.
Smiling.
Exactly like him.
The same face.
The same hair.
The same eyes.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The smile.
It was too wide.
Too empty.
Too unsettling.
Abraão froze.
"…Who are you?"
The figure tilted its head.
And smiled even wider.
Then it spoke.
Just one sentence.
A single sentence.
One that made Abraão's blood run cold.
—
"Everyone will DIE."